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Cognitive styles and affective factors are critical factors affecting e-learning performance in this digital era. Learners can enhance their affective learning with a correct cognitive style. This study aims to examine various cognitive styles with effective learning measurement tools through subjective and objective instruments by observing physiological signals and mental load questionnaires as the matching and mismatching styles matter to learning outcomes. The research design adopted multiple measurements to examine the effects of cognitive styles on learning outcomes. The mental load measure included the system usability scale and the NASA task load index (NASA-TLX) scale. The objective measure adopted physiological signals, including emotion, brainwave attention, heart rhythm variability, blood oxygen concentration, breathing, skin temperature, and galvanic skin response. The results revealed that matching cognitive style learners had better learning performance with more positive emotion and less mental load, fatigue, and stress than mismatching cognitive style learners. We concluded that the matching cognition of learning materials could benefit learning outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chilling is an important limiting factor for seed germination of soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.). To reveal the regulatory mechanism of chilling tolerance during the soybean germination stage, based on previous studies, the chilling tolerance line R48 and chilling sensitive line R89 in chromosome segment substitution lines were selected for physiological index determination and transcriptome sequencing. It was found that reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging system related enzymes, ROS, and osmotic regulators were significantly different between the two lines. Gene Ontology enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment were performed on the differentially expressed genes obtained by transcriptome sequencing. It was found that terms or pathways related to flavonoids, unsaturated fatty acids, and abscisic acid were highly enriched. In addition, weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) method was used to analyze the physiological index data and transcriptome sequencing data. Four main coexpression modules significantly related to physiological indicators were obtained, and the hub genes in each module were screened according to eigengene‐based connectivity value. Haplotype analysis of important candidate genes using soybean germplasm resources showed that there were significant differences in germination indexes between different major haplotypes of Glyma.17G163200. Based on the results of enrichment analysis and WGCNA, the regulation model of low temperature tolerance during soybean germination was preliminarily drawn. This study will provide theoretical guidance for analyzing the molecular regulation mechanism of cold tolerance in soybean germination stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present investigation aims to isolate nitrogen fixing endophytic bacteria from cereals crops and their potential role in plant growth promotion of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) for sustainable growth. In the present investigation, endophytic bacteria were isolated from different cereal crops growing in the Divine Valley of Baru Sahib, Himachal Pradesh, India and isolates were screened for nitrogen fixation. The nitrogenase activity exhibiting bacterial isolates were further screened for other plant growth promoting traits including solubilization of phosphorus, potassium, and zinc; production of indole-3-acetic acid, siderophores, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide and extracellular enzyme. The potential nitrogen fixing strains were molecularly identified and evaluated for the growth promotion of wheat. A total of 304 putative endophytic bacterial isolates were isolated from wheat, oats, barley, and maize using selective and complex growth media. Among 304 putative endophytic bacteria, 8 isolates exhibits nitrogenase activity. On the basis of nitrogenase activity and other plant promoting traits, two efficient strains i.e. EU-E1ST3.1 and EU-A2RNfb were molecularly identified using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and found that these strains belongs to genera Rahnella. The wheat inoculated with two selected nitrogen-fixing endophytic bacterial strains showed considerable enhancement in total chlorophyll, nitrogen, Fe and Zn content over the un-inoculated control. In comparison of two selected nitrogen-fixing endophytic bacterial strains, Rahnella aquatilis EU-E1ST3.1 was found to enhance better growth and physiological parameters and it might be developed as biofertilizers to establish a sustainable agriculture system. In the present investigation, the isolated potential nitrogen fixing endophytic bacteria could be used as biofertilizer or bioinoculant for growth of diverse cereal crops growing in hilly region for agricultural sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus♀ × Epinephelus lanceolatus ♂) are an essential species in marine aquaculture. However, they are susceptible to high temperatures, which can reduce disease resistance, slow growth rates, and decrease production efficiency, resulting in significant economic losses. This study aims to investigate the differences in heat tolerance between hybrid grouper and their parental species, tiger grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus) and giant grouper (E. lanceolatus), and to identify heat stress-related signaling pathways and key genes. Through controlled temperature experiments, we measured the physiological and biochemical parameters of serum (ACP, AKP, TG, COR) and liver (HSP70, HSP90, SOD, CAT) in pearl gentian grouper and their parents, followed by liver transcriptome analysis of the three grouper species. The results showed that the lethal temperature of tiger grouper is 41°C, and the lethal temperature of hybrid tiger grouper and saddle grouper is 40°C. Significant changes in antioxidant and heat stress-related indicators were observed in the early stages of stress. Comparative analysis of DEGs related to heat tolerance between pearl gentian grouper and their parents revealed common DEGs including the hsp family, danaj family, slc family, pnpla2 , magot , actalb , and prodh. Among these, the gene expression trends in hybrids were similar to those of their maternal parent and varied between the same or opposite trends compared to those of their paternal parent. These findings suggest that the hybrids inherit heat regulation genes from both parents, with a higher proportion from the maternal parent, which likely explains their intermediate heat tolerance. This research provides insights into the potential relationship between heat tolerance in pearl gentian grouper and their parents and identifies key genetic information affecting heat tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sophora tonkinensis is a significant medicinal plant indigenous to China and Vietnam. In China, S. tonkinensis is mainly grown naturally on limestone mountains or is cultivated artificially in arable land. Heavy metal contamination in agricultural soil, particularly cadmium (Cd), poses serious threats to soil health, as well as the growth and productivity of S. tonkinensis. However, information regarding the physiological and metabolic mechanism of S. tonkinensis under Cd toxicity conditions remains limited. In this study, a hydroponic experiment was conducted to investigate the physiological and metabolic responses of S. tonkinensis to varying concentrations of Cd (0, 20, 40, 60, 80 μM), designated as T0, T1, T2, T3, and T4 respectively. The results indicated that the Cd stress significantly impaired the growth and physiological activity of S. tonkinensis. Specifically, reductions were observed in plant height (15.3% to 37.1%) along with shoot fresh weight (9.6% to 36.3%), shoot dry weight (8.2% to 34.1%), root fresh weight (6.7% to 38.2%) and root dry weight (5.1% to 51.3%). This impairment was attributed to a higher uptake and accumulation of Cd in the roots. The decrease in growth was closely linked to the increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which led to cellular damage under Cd toxicity; however, increased antioxidant enzyme activities improved the stress tolerance of S. tonkinensis's stress to Cd toxicity. Non-targeted metabolomic analyses identified 380 differential metabolites (DMs) in the roots of S. tonkinensis subjected to varying level of Cd stress, including amino acids, organic acids, fatty acids, ketones, and others compounds. Further KEGG pathway enrichment analysis revealed that several pathways, such as ABC transporters, isoflavonoid biosynthesis, and pyrimidine metabolism were involved in the response to Cd. Notably, the isoflavonoid biosynthesis pathway was significantly enriched in both T0 vs. T2 and T0 vs. the higher level (80 μM) of Cd stress, highlighting its significance in the plant responses to Cd stress. In conclusion, the identification of key pathways and metabolites is crucial for understanding Cd stress tolerance in S. tonkinensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek, generally known as mung bean, is a crucial pulse crop in Southeast Asia that is renowned for its high nutritional value. However, its cultivation faces substantial challenges due to numerous abiotic stresses. Here, we investigate the influence of salt and drought stress on mung bean genotypes by evaluating its morpho-physiological traits and biochemical characteristics. This phenotypic analysis revealed that both salt and drought stress adversely affected mung bean, which led to reduced plant height, leaf senescence, loss of plant biomass, and premature plant death. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production increased under these abiotic stresses. In response, to prevent damage by ROS, the plant activates defense mechanisms to scavenge ROS by producing antioxidants. This response was validated through morpho-physiological, histological, and biochemical assays that characterized KVK Puri-3 and KVK Jharsuguda-1 as salt and drought sensitive genotypes, respectively, and Pusa ratna was identified as a drought and salt tolerant genotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clematis is the queen of the vines, being an ornamental plant with high economic value. Waterlogging stress reduces the ornamental value of the plant and limits its application. Melatonin plays an important role in plant resistance to abiotic stresses. In this study, the physiological responses and gene expression levels of two wild species, namely, Clematis tientaiensis and Clematis lanuginosa, and two horticultural varieties, namely, 'Sen-No-Kaze' and 'Viva Polonia,' under waterlogging stress were analyzed to determine the effect of melatonin onwaterlogging tolerance. The results showed that the waterlogging tolerances of C. lanuginosa and 'Sen-No-Kaze' were relatively poor, but were significantly improved by concentrations of 100 μmol·L-1 and 50 μmol·L-1 melatonin. C. tientaiensis and 'Viva Polonia' had relatively strong tolerance to waterlogging, and this was significantly improved by 200 μmol·L-1 melatonin. Under waterlogging stress, the relative conductivity and H2O2 content of Clematis increased significantly; the photosynthetic parameters and chlorophyll contents were significantly decreased; photosynthesis was inhibited; the contents of soluble protein and soluble sugars were decreased. Effective improvement of waterlogging tolerance after exogenous melatonin spraying, the relative conductivity was decreased by 4.05%-27.44%; the H2O2 content was decreased by 3.84%-23.28%; the chlorophyll content was increased by 35.59%-103.36%; the photosynthetic efficiency was increased by 25.42%-45.86%; the antioxidant enzyme activities of APX, POD, SOD, and CAT were increased by 28.03%-158.61%; the contents of proline, soluble protein, and soluble sugars were enhanced, and cell homeostasis was improved. Transcription sequencing was performed on wild Clematis with differences in waterlogging tolerance, and nine transcription factors were selected that were highly correlated with melatonin and that had the potential to improve waterlogging tolerance, among which LBD4, and MYB4 were significantly positively correlated with the antioxidant enzyme system, and bHLH36, DOF36, and WRKY4 were significantly negatively correlated. Photosynthetic capacity was positively correlated with DOF36 and WRKY4 while being significantly negatively correlated with MYB4, MOF1, DOF47, REV1 and ABR1. Melatonin could enhance the flooding tolerance of Clematis by improving photosynthetic efficiency and antioxidant enzyme activity. This study provides an important basis and reference for the application of melatonin in waterloggingresistant breeding of Clematis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well known that application of exogenous trehalose can enhance the heat resistance of plants. To investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms by which exogenous trehalose induces heat resistance in C. sinensis, a combination of physiological and transcriptome analyses was conducted. The findings revealed a significant increase in the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) upon treatment with 5.0 mM trehalose at different time points. Moreover, the contents of proline (PRO), endogenous trehalose, and soluble sugar exhibited a significant increase, while malondialdehyde (MDA) content decreased following treatment with 5.0 mM trehalose under 24 h high-temperature stress (38 °C/29 °C, 12 h/12 h). RNA-seq analysis demonstrated that the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were significantly enriched in the MAPK pathway, plant hormone signal transduction, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, flavone and flavonol biosynthesis, flavonoid biosynthesis, and the galactose metabolism pathway. The capability to scavenge free radicals was enhanced, and the expression of a heat shock factor gene (HSFB2B) and two heat shock protein genes (HSP18.1 and HSP26.5) were upregulated in the tea plant. Consequently, it was concluded that exogenous trehalose contributes to alleviating heat stress in C. sinensis. Furthermore, it regulates the expression of genes involved in diverse pathways crucial for C. sinensis under heat-stress conditions. These findings provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the alleviation of heat stress in C. sinensis with trehalose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the standard management of COVID-19, there is a significant prevalence of severe pneumonia brought on by various pathogens. For certain patients, choosing successful targeted medications is more challenging due to the disease’s quick progression or short-term difficulty in obtaining a pathogenetic basis. The “broad coverage” treatment of giving anti-infective drugs, combined with glucocorticoids for anti-inflammation, and gamma globulin to improve immune function and respiratory support therapy is a common method, but the mortality rate is still high. A young patient with non-severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) was recently admitted to Huadong Hospital, Fudan University. After being admitted, the patient’s condition quickly deteriorated and developed into severe acute respiratory distress syndrome in more than 10 hours with lymphocyte decline. The aforementioned “broad coverage” treatment was ineffective for the patient. It was modified to a comprehensive treatment based on short-term high-dose glucocorticoids and graded no-invasive respiratory support after appropriate physiological and biological analysis. The patient’s condition quickly became better, and lymphocytes recovered rapidly after a transient drop. The patient did not experience any other significant adverse effects. And ten days later, she was discharged. The diagnosis and treatment experience of this patient can provide a reference for CAP diagnosis and care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus♀ × Epinephelus lanceolatus♂) are an essential species in marine aquaculture. However, they are susceptible to high temperatures, which can reduce disease resistance, slow growth rates, and decrease production efficiency, resulting in significant economic losses. This study aims to investigate the differences in heat tolerance between hybrid grouper and their parental species, tiger grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus) and giant grouper (E. lanceolatus), and to identify heat stress-related signaling pathways and key genes. Through controlled temperature experiments, we measured the physiological and biochemical parameters of serum (ACP, AKP, TG, COR) and liver (HSP70, HSP90, SOD, CAT) in pearl gentian grouper and their parents, followed by liver transcriptome analysis of the three grouper species. The results showed that the lethal temperature of tiger grouper is 41°C, and the lethal temperature of hybrid tiger grouper and saddle grouper is 40°C. Significant changes in antioxidant and heat stress-related indicators were observed in the early stages of stress. Comparative analysis of DEGs related to heat tolerance between pearl gentian grouper and their parents revealed common DEGs including the hsp family, danaj family, slc family, pnpla2, magot, actalb, and prodh. Among these, the gene expression trends in hybrids were similar to those of their maternal parent and varied between the same or opposite trends compared to those of their paternal parent. These findings suggest that the hybrids inherit heat regulation genes from both parents, with a higher proportion from the maternal parent, which likely explains their intermediate heat tolerance. This research provides insights into the potential relationship between heat tolerance in pearl gentian grouper and their parents and identifies key genetic information affecting heat tolerance.

The leaves of Emmenopterys henryi Oliv. cultured under 25°C/20°C (CK) and 42◦C/37◦C (heat stress, HS), respectively, were used for physiological and transcriptomic analysis based on RNA-seq technology. Results showed that net photosynthesis rate (PN), ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) activity, chlorophyll and brassinosteroid (BR) content, and leaf angle (LA) decreased significantly while the contents of H2O2, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS), abscisic acid (ABA) and anthocyanin, and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), guajacol-dependent peroxidase (POD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) increased obviously under HS. RNA-seq analysis indicated that 9492 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were found, of which 4368 were up-regulated and 5124 were down-regulated. The most enriched KEGG pathways of DEGs were photosynthesis, plant hormone signal transduction, secondary metabolites biosynthesis. HSPs, SOD, CAT, POD, APX were up-regulated whereas genes related to photosystem I (PSI) and photosystem II (PSII) light-harvesting complex and reaction center proteins, cytochrome b6-f complex, plastocyanin, ATP synthase, Rubisco, Rubiscoactivase (RCA), and chlorophyll biosynthesis were down-regulated under heat stress. HS resulted in downregulation of genes related to BR biosynthesis and positive regulation in BR signaling but upregulation of genes related to inactivation of BR. Anthocyanin accumulation in E. henryi under HS might resulted from upregulation of PAL, CHI, DFR whereas downregulation of ANR and LAR. HS led to increase of ABA level but downregulation of genes related to ABA signaling. Transcription factors HSFA, HSFB and HSFC were involved in E. henryi HS response. E. henryi might responds to HS via regulating photosynthesis, antioxidase activity, ABA and BR metabolism and signaling, anthocyanin metabolism and HSPs and HSFs expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alginate oligosaccharides (AOS) enhance drought resistance in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), but the definite mechanisms remain largely unknown. The physiological and transcriptome responses of wheat seedlings treated with AOS were analyzed under drought stress simulated with polyethylene glycol-6000. The results showed that AOS promoted the growth of wheat seedlings and reduced oxidative damage by improving peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities under drought stress. A total of 10,064 and 15,208 differentially expressed unigenes (DEGs) obtained from the AOS treatment and control samples at 24 and 72 h after dehydration, respectively, were mainly enriched in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites (phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, flavonoid biosynthesis), carbohydrate metabolism (starch and sucrose metabolism, carbon fixation in photosynthetic organisms), lipid metabolism (fatty acid elongation, biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, alpha-linolenic acid metabolism, cutin, suberine and wax biosynthesis), and signaling transduction pathways. The up-regulated genes were related to, for example, chlorophyll a-b binding protein, amylosynthease, phosphotransferase, peroxidase, phenylalanine ammonia lyase, flavone synthase, glutathione synthetase. Signaling molecules (including MAPK, plant hormones, H2O2 and calcium) and transcription factors (mainly including NAC, MYB, MYB-related, WRKY, bZIP family members) were involved in the AOS-induced wheat drought resistance. The results obtained in this study help underpin the mechanisms of wheat drought resistance improved by AOS, and provides a theoretical basis for the application of AOS as an environmentally sustainable biological method to improve drought resistance in agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek, generally known as mung bean, is a crucial pulse crop in Southeast Asia that is renowned for its high nutritional value. However, its cultivation faces substantial challenges due to numerous abiotic stresses. Here, we investigate the influence of salt and drought stress on mung bean genotypes by evaluating its morpho-physiological traits and biochemical characteristics. This phenotypic analysis revealed that both salt and drought stress adversely affected mung bean, which led to reduced plant height, leaf senescence, loss of plant biomass, and premature plant death. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production increased under these abiotic stresses. In response, to prevent damage by ROS, the plant activates defense mechanisms to scavenge ROS by producing antioxidants. This response was validated through morpho-physiological, histological, and biochemical assays that characterized KVK Puri-3 and KVK Jharsuguda-1 as salt and drought sensitive genotypes, respectively, and Pusa ratna was identified as a drought and salt tolerant genotype.

Abstract Background Morinda officinalis How (MO) is a vine shrub distributed in tropical and subtropical regions, known as one of the “Four Southern Herbal Medicines” in China. The unclear responsive mechanism by which MO adapt to freezing stress limits progress in molecular breeding for MO freezing tolerance. Results In this study, morphological, physiological and microstructure changes in MO exposed to -2℃ for 0 h, 3 h, 8 h and 24 h were comprehensively characterized. The results showed that freezing stress caused seedling dehydration, palisade cell and spongy mesophyll destruction. A significant increase in the content of proline, soluble protein and soluble sugars, as well as the activity of superoxide dismutase and peroxidase was observed. Subsequently, we analyzed the transcriptomic changes of MO leaves at different times under freezing treatment by RNA-seq. A total of 24,498 unigenes were annotated and 3252 unigenes were identified as differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Most of these DEGs were annotated in starch and sucrose metabolism, plant hormone signal transduction and MAPK signaling pathways. Family Enrichment analysis showed that the glucosyl/glucuronosyl transferases, oxidoreductase, chlorophyll a/b binding protein and calcium binding protein families were significantly enriched. We also characterized 7 types of transcription factors responding to freezing stress, among which the most abundant family was the MYBs, followed by the AP2/ERFs and NACs. Furthermore, 10 DEGs were selected for qRT-PCR analysis, which validated the reliability and accuracy of RNA-seq data. Conclusions Our results provide an overall view of the dynamic changes in physiology and insight into the molecular regulation mechanisms of MO in response to freezing stress. This study will lay a foundation for freezing tolerance molecular breeding and improving the quality of MO.

Drought is one of the important abiotic factors that affect faba bean growth and productivity in the Mediterranean region. In order to study the response of faba bean plant to water-deficit stress, a physiological and proteomic analysis was carried out in leaf tissue. All physiological parameters were affected by drought. The physiological mechanism underlying the response of faba bean leaves to water-deficit was therefore attributed to the alleviation of oxidative stress via the accumulation of proline and to the synergistic action of the antioxidant enzyme system (CAT, SOD, APX and GPOX). Proteomic analysis identified 2000 proteins from faba bean leaves, of which were 81 differentially expressed. Of those, 36 were downregulated and 45 were upregulated under water-deficit treatment. KEGG and GO enrichments indicated differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) related to photosynthesis, antioxidants and ROS detoxifying enzymes, biosynthesis of amino acids and secondary metabolites, molecular chaperones, signal transduction, energy and carbohydrate metabolism and metabolic enzymes. The current results provide evidence for a complex synergetic pathway, in which ROS detoxification mechanisms and photoprotection constituted the major aspect of water-deficit tolerance in faba bean leaves. These results offer a foundational basis regarding the molecular mechanism involved in drought resistance within the faba bean species.

Soil salinity is a major factor threatening the production of crops around the world. Smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis L.) is a high-quality grass in northern and northwestern China. Currently, selecting and utilizing salt-tolerant genotypes is an important way to mitigate the detrimental effects of salinity on crop productivity. In our research, salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive varieties were selected from 57 accessions based on a comprehensive evaluation of 22 relevant indexes, and their salt-tolerance physiological and molecular mechanisms were further analyzed. Results showed significant differences in salt tolerance between 57 genotypes, with Q25 and Q46 considered to be the most salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive accessions, respectively, compared to other varieties. Under saline conditions, the salt-tolerant genotype Q25 not only maintained significantly higher photosynthetic performance, leaf relative water content (RWC), and proline content but also exhibited obviously lower relative conductivity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content than the salt-sensitive Q46 (p < 0.05). The transcriptome sequencing indicated 15,128 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in Q46, of which 7,885 were upregulated and 7,243 downregulated, and 12,658 DEGs in Q25, of which 6,059 were upregulated and 6,599 downregulated. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis showed that the salt response differences between Q25 and Q46 were attributed to the variable expression of genes associated with plant hormone signal transduction and MAPK signaling pathways. Furthermore, a large number of candidate genes, related to salt tolerance, were detected, which involved transcription factors (zinc finger proteins) and accumulation of compatible osmolytes (glutathione S-transferases and pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductases), etc. This study offers an important view of the physiological and molecular regulatory mechanisms of salt tolerance in two smooth bromegrass genotypes and lays the foundation for further identification of key genes linked to salt tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite many attempts, we do not yet know how to answer the question exhaustively and adequately: What is common Danish stød phonetically? Specifically, is there an underlying physiological constancy behind the considerable acoustic variability? And is there a common denominator to the different acoustic manifestations that might explain their perceptual equivalence? Systematic acoustic, physiological, and perceptual investigations of common Danish stød now span (a little more than) three quarters of a century. This is a review of that research, to determine what may be considered established phonetic facts about common Danish stød and the open questions that remain for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well known that application of exogenous trehalose can enhance the heat resistance of plants. To investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms by which exogenous trehalose induces heat resistance in C. sinensis, a combination of physiological and transcriptome analyses was conducted. The findings revealed a significant increase in the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) upon treatment with 5.0 mM trehalose at different time points. Moreover, the contents of proline (PRO), endogenous trehalose, and soluble sugar exhibited a significant increase, while malondialdehyde (MDA) content decreased following treatment with 5.0 mM trehalose under 24 h high-temperature stress (38 °C/29 °C, 12 h/12 h). RNA-seq analysis demonstrated that the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were significantly enriched in the MAPK pathway, plant hormone signal transduction, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, flavone and flavonol biosynthesis, flavonoid biosynthesis, and the galactose metabolism pathway. The capability to scavenge free radicals was enhanced, and the expression of a heat shock factor gene (HSFB2B) and two heat shock protein genes (HSP18.1 and HSP26.5) were upregulated in the tea plant. Consequently, it was concluded that exogenous trehalose contributes to alleviating heat stress in C. sinensis. Furthermore, it regulates the expression of genes involved in diverse pathways crucial for C. sinensis under heat-stress conditions. These findings provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the alleviation of heat stress in C. sinensis with trehalose.

Background: Morinda officinalis How (MO) is a vine shrub distributed in tropical and subtropical regions, known as one of the "Four Southern Herbal Medicines" in China. The unclear responsive mechanism by which MO adapt to freezing stress limits progress in molecular breeding for MO freezing tolerance. Results: In this study, morphological, physiological and microstructure changes in MO exposed to -2℃ for 0 h, 3 h, 8 h and 24 h were comprehensively characterized. The results showed that freezing stress caused seedling dehydration, palisade cell and spongy mesophyll destruction. A significant increase in the content of proline, soluble protein and soluble sugars, as well as the activity of superoxide dismutase and peroxidase was observed. Subsequently, we analyzed the transcriptomic changes of MO leaves at different times under freezing treatment by RNA-seq. A total of 24,498 unigenes were annotated and 3252 unigenes were identified as differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Most of these DEGs were annotated in starch and sucrose metabolism, plant hormone signal transduction and MAPK signaling pathways. Family Enrichment analysis showed that the glucosyl/glucuronosyl transferases, oxidoreductase, chlorophyll a/b binding protein and calcium binding protein families were significantly enriched. We also characterized 7 types of transcription factors responding to freezing stress, among which the most abundant family was the MYBs, followed by the AP2/ERFs and NACs. Furthermore, 10 DEGs were selected for qRT-PCR analysis, which validated the reliability and accuracy of RNA-seq data. Conclusions: Our results provide an overall view of the dynamic changes in physiology and insight into the molecular regulation mechanisms of MO in response to freezing stress. This study will lay a foundation for freezing tolerance molecular breeding and improving the quality of MO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gynostemma pentaphyllum an important medicinal herb, can absorb high amounts of cadmium (Cd) which can lead to excessive Cd contamination during the production of medicines and tea. Hence, it is crucial to investigate the response mechanism of G. pentaphyllum under Cd stress to develop varieties with low Cd accumulation and high tolerance. Physiological response analysis, transcriptomics and metabolomics were performed on G. pentaphyllum seedlings exposed to Cd stress. Herein, G. pentaphyllum seedlings could significantly enhance antioxidant enzyme activities (POD, CAT and APX), proline and polysaccharide content subject to Cd stress. Transcriptomics analysis identified the secondary metabolites, carbohydrate metabolism, amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, and signal transduction pathways associated with Cd stress, which mainly involved the XTH, EXP and GST genes. Metabolomics analysis identified 126 differentially expressed metabolites, including citric acid, flavonoid and amino acids metabolites, which were accumulated under Cd stress. Multi-omics integrative analysis unraveled that the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, starch, and sucrose metabolism, alphalinolenic acid metabolism, and ABC transporter were significantly enriched at the gene and metabolic levels in response to Cd stress in G. pentaphyllum. In conclusion, the genetic regulatory network sheds light on Cd response mechanisms in G. pentaphyllum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With global climate warming, recurring extreme heat and high temperatures irreversibly damage plants. Raspberries, known for their nutritional and medicinal value, are in high demand worldwide. Thus, it is important to study how hightemperature stress (HTS) affects raspberries. The physiological and biochemical responses and molecular genetic mechanisms of raspberry leaves to different HTS treatments were investigated: mild high temperature at 35°C (HT35), severe high temperature at 40°C (HT40), and the control at room temperature of 25°C (CK). The physiological results suggested that leaves in both the 35°C and 40°C treatments showed maximum relative conductivity at 4 d of stress, increasing by 28.54% and 43.36%, respectively, compared to CK. Throughout the stress period (0-4 d), malondialdehyde (MDA) and soluble protein contents of raspberry leaves increased under HT35 and HT40 treatments, while soluble sugar content first decreased and then increased. Catalase (CAT) activity increased, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity first increased and then decreased, and peroxidase (POD) activity gradually decreased. Photosynthetic and fluorescence responses of raspberry leaves showed the most severe impairment after 4 d of stress. Transcriptomics results revealed significant alterations in 42 HSP family genes, two SOD-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs), 25 POD-related DEGs, three CAT-related DEGs, and 38 photosynthesis-related DEGs under HTS. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis showed that these DEGs were mainly enriched in photosynthesis-antenna proteins, pentose and glucuronide interconversion, phenylpropane biosynthesis, and indole alkaloid biosynthesis. HTS induced excessive ROS accumulation in raspberry leaves, causing oxidative damage in plant cells and subsequently reducing photosynthesis in raspberry leaves. This reduction in photosynthesis, in turn, affects photosynthetic carbon fixation and starch and sucrose metabolism, which, combined with phenol propane biosynthesis, mitigates the HTSinduced damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought stress seriously inhibits the physiological development of agricultural plants. Melatonin regulates physiological processes and improves tolerance to stress. In our study, the physiological and biochemical mechanism of exogenous melatonin for improving drought resistance of sugar beet seedlings was studied by spraying different concentrations of melatonin solution on the leaves. The results showed that under drought stress, compared with the treatment without spraying melatonin (Drought), different concentrations of melatonin increased the dry and fresh weight of sugar beet seedlings, and 100 μmol·L−1 melatonin increased the biomass by up to 47%. Leaf relative water content and water potential value increased by 61.92% and 13.67%, respectively, which was not significantly different from to control. Exogenous melatonin also significantly decreased electrolyte leakage and malondialdehyde content in sugar beets, reduced soluble sugars, soluble proteins, and free proline contents, and maintained cell stability. In addition, melatonin increased the activities of enzymatic antioxidants in the leaves by 89.35% at the highest and maintained low reactive oxygen species under drought stress. Melatonin promoted leaf gas exchange, increased chlorophyll content, and promoted photosynthesis under drought stress. These results indicate that exogenous melatonin improves the ability of sugar beet seedlings to grow under drought stress, mainly by reducing the level of membrane lipid peroxidation, increasing the activities of antioxidant enzymes, and promoting chlorophyll synthesis. Melatonin could be applied as a plant growth regulator at a large-scale field level for plants under drought stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: Cardiovascular disease is a high-fatality health issue. Accurate measurement of cardiovascular function depends on precise segmentation of physiological structure and accurate evaluation of functional parameters. Structural segmentation of heart images and calculation of the volume of different ventricular activity cycles form the basis for quantitative analysis of physiological function and can provide the necessary support for clinical physiological diagnosis, as well as the analysis of various cardiac diseases. Therefore, it is important to develop an efficient heart segmentation algorithm. Methods: A total of 275 nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) heart scans were collected, analyzed, and preprocessed from Huaqiao University Affiliated Strait Hospital, and the data were used in our improved deep learning model, which was designed based on the U-net network. The training set included 80% of the images, and the remaining 20% was the test set. Based on five time phases from end-diastole (ED) to end-systole (ES), the segmentation findings showed that it is possible to achieve improved segmentation accuracy and computational complexity by segmenting the left ventricle (LV), right ventricle (RV), and myocardium (myo). Results: We improved the Dice index of the LV to 0.965 and 0.921, and the Hausdorff index decreased to 5.4 and 6.9 in the ED and ES phases, respectively; RV Dice increased to 0.938 and 0.860, and the Hausdorff index decreased to 11.7 and 12.6 in the ED and ES, respectively; myo Dice increased to 0.889 and 0.901, and the Hausdorff index decreased to 8.3 and 9.2 in the ED and ES, respectively. Conclusion: The model obtained in the final experiment provided more accurate segmentation of the left and right ventricles, as well as the myocardium, from cardiac MRI. The data from this model facilitate the prediction of cardiovascular disease in real-time, thereby providing potential clinical utility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solidago canadensis is an invasive plant that can adapt to variable environmental conditions. To explore the molecular mechanism of the response to nitrogen (N) addition conditions in S. canadensis, physiology and transcriptome analysis were performed with samples that cultured by natural and three N level conditions. Comparative analysis detected many differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including the function of plant growth and development, photosynthesis, antioxidant, sugar metabolism and secondary metabolism pathways. Most genes encoding proteins involved in plant growth, circadian rhythm and photosynthesis were upregulated. Furthermore, secondary metabolism-related genes were specifically expressed among the different groups; for example, most DEGs related to phenol and flavonoid synthesis were downregulated in the N-level environment. Most DEGs related to diterpenoid and monoterpenoid biosynthesis were upregulated. In addition, many physiological responses, such as antioxidant enzyme activities and chlorophyll and soluble sugar contents, were elevated by the N environment, which was consistent with the gene expression levels in each group. Collectively, our observations indicated that S. canadensis may be promoted by N deposition conditions with the alteration of plant growth, secondary metabolism and physiological accumulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Epsilon-poly-L-lysine (ε-PL) is produced by Streptomyces species in acidic and aerobic conditions, which inevitably induces rapid generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The devastating effects of ROS on biomolecules and cell vitality have been well-studied, while the positive effects of ROS are rarely reported. Results: In this study, we found that a proper dose of intracellular ROS (about 3.3 μmol H2O2 /g DCW) could induce a physiological modification to promote the ε-PL production (from 1.2 to 1.5 g/L). It resulted in larger sizes of colony and mycelial pellets as well as vibrant, aggregated, and more robust mycelia, which were of high capability of ROS detoxication. Physiological studies showed that appropriate doses of ROS activated the metabolism of the pentose phosphate pathway at both transcriptional and enzymatic levels, which was beneficial for biomass accumulation. The biosynthesis of lysine was also promoted in terms of transcriptional regulatory overexpression, increased transcription and enzymatic activity of key genes, larger pools of metabolites in the TCA cycle, replenishment pathway, and diaminoheptanedioic acid pathway. In addition, energy provision was ensured by activated metabolism of the TCA cycle, a larger pool of NADH, and higher activity of the electron transport system. Increased transcription of HrdD and pls further accelerated the ε-PL biosynthesis. Significance: These results indicated that ROS at proper intracellular dose could act as an inducing signal to activate the ε-PL biosynthesis, which laid a foundation for further process regulation to maintain optimal ROS dose in industrial ε-PL production and was of theoretical and practical significance. Key points: • A proper dose of intracellular ROS positively influences the ε-PL production. • Proper dose of ROS enhanced the mycelial activity and antioxidative capability. • ROS increased lysine synthesis metabolism, energy provision and pls expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boron (B) deficiency is detrimental to Glycine max (L.) Merr., which is one of the leading oil crops. In this study, physiological analysis of soybean seedlings under B deficiency and control after 12 h, 24 h, 72 h and 8 days was carried out, and the roots were subjected to transcriptome sequencing analysis. The results showed that under B deficiency, the plant height, SPAD and chlorophyll fluorescence value of soybean seedlings decreased significantly, indicating that B stress significantly inhibited plant growth and photosynthesis. RNA-seq revealed a total of 5126 DEGs (Differentially Expressed Genes), and nine DEGs co-existed at the four-time points, among which GLYMA_03G130600 regulates transcription factor ORG3, which is related to plant growth. GO analysis revealed a total of annotated 4018 DEGs, among which the terms plasma membrane, extracellular, enzyme activity, ion transport metabolic process and oxidoreductase activity were significantly enriched at the four time points, which might hinder the growth of soybean and accelerate senescence. KEGG analysis showed that at level 1, the DEGs were mainly enriched in photosynthesis-related, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, nitrogen metabolism and plant hormone signal transduction. At level 2 of secondary metabolism, the DEGs were mainly enriched in energy metabolism and amino acid metabolism pathways, which indicates that B stresses mainly affect photosynthesis, hormone regulation and amino acid metabolism of soybean, thus affecting plant growth. The above results give deeper insight into the soybean response to B deficiency and lay the foundation for further studies of the molecular mechanism of soybean response to boron deficiency.

Heat stress is one of the major abiotic stresses affecting plant growth and productivity. Cryptomeria fortunei (Chinese cedar) is an excellent timber and landscaping tree species in southern China thanks to its beautiful appearance, straight texture and ability to purify the air and improve the environment. In this study, we first screened 8 excellent C. fortunei families (#12, #21, #37, #38, #45, #46, #48, #54) in a second generation seed orchard. We then analyzed the electrolyte leakage (EL) and lethal temperature at 50% (LT50) values under heat stress, to identify the families with the best heat resistance (#48) and the lowest heat resistance (#45) and determine the physiological and morphological response of different threshold-resistance of C. fortune to heat stress. The relative conductivity of the C. fortunei families showed an increasing trend with increasing temperature, following an “S” curve, and the half-lethal temperature ranges between 39°C and 43.2°C. The activities of SOD and POD fluctuated in the early stage of stress but decreased after 37°C. We observed the changes in the cell ultrastructure at 43°C, and the mesophyll cell structure of #48 was less damaged than that of #45. Eight heat resistance gene, including CfAPX1, CfAPX2, CfHSP11, CfHSP21, CfHSP70, CfHSFA1a, CfHSFB2a and CfHSFB4, were all up-regulated in #45 and #48, and there were significant differences between #45 and #48 under different heat stress treatments. We found a significant difference in heat tolerance between #45 and #48, such that #48 shows higher heat tolerance capability and could be exploited in breeding programs. We conclude that the strongly heat resistant family had a more stable physiological state and a wider range of heat stress adaptations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boron (B) deficiency is detrimental to Glycine max (L.) Merr., which is one of the leading oil crops. In this study, physiological analysis of soybean seedlings under B deficiency and control after 12 h, 24 h, 72 h and 8 days was carried out, and the roots were subjected to transcriptome sequencing analysis. The results showed that under B deficiency, the plant height, SPAD and chlorophyll fluorescence value of soybean seedlings decreased significantly, indicating that B stress significantly inhibited plant growth and photosynthesis. RNA-seq revealed a total of 5126 DEGs (Differentially Expressed Genes), and nine DEGs co-existed at the four-time points, among which GLYMA_03G130600 regulates transcription factor ORG3, which is related to plant growth. GO analysis revealed a total of annotated 4018 DEGs, among which the terms plasma membrane, extracellular, enzyme activity, ion transport metabolic process and oxidoreductase activity were significantly enriched at the four time points, which might hinder the growth of soybean and accelerate senescence. KEGG analysis showed that at level 1, the DEGs were mainly enriched in photosynthesis-related, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, nitrogen metabolism and plant hormone signal transduction. At level 2 of secondary metabolism, the DEGs were mainly enriched in energy metabolism and amino acid metabolism pathways, which indicates that B stresses mainly affect photosynthesis, hormone regulation and amino acid metabolism of soybean, thus affecting plant growth. The above results give deeper insight into the soybean response to B deficiency and lay the foundation for further studies of the molecular mechanism of soybean response to boron deficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Henan Agricultural Sciences is the property of Editorial Board of Journal of Henan Agricultural Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

As a glycophyte plant, pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is widely cultivated worldwide, but its growth is susceptible to salinity damage, especially at the seedling stage. Here, we conducted a study to determine the physiological and transcriptional differences between two genotype seedlings (P300 and 323F3) with contrasting tolerance under salt stress. The P300 seedlings were more salt-tolerant and had higher K+ contents, higher antioxidase activities, higher compatible solutes, and lower Na+ contents in both their roots and their leaves than the 323F3 seedlings. During RNA-seq analysis of the roots, more up-regulated genes and fewer down-regulated genes were identified between salt-treated P300 seedlings and the controls than between salt-treated 323F3 and the controls. Many ROS-scavenging genes and several SOS pathway genes were significantly induced by salt stress and exhibited higher expressions in the salt-treated roots of the P300 seedlings than those of 323F3 seedlings. Moreover, biosynthesis of the unsaturated fatty acids pathway and protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum pathway were deeply involved in the responses of P300 to salt stress, and most of the differentially expressed genes involved in the two pathways, including the genes that encode mega-6 fatty acid desaturases and heat-shock proteins, were up-regulated. We also found differences in the hormone synthesis and signaling pathway genes in both the P300 and 323F3 varieties under salt stress. Overall, our results provide valuable insights into the physiological and molecular mechanisms that affect the salt tolerance of pepper seedlings, and present some candidate genes for improving salt tolerance in pepper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought is a significant environmental stress factor that adversely affects maize productivity. However, many details regarding the molecular mechanisms of maize against drought are still unclear. In this study, leaf transcriptomics and physiological traits of two maize genotypes with differing drought resistance were analyzed. Transcriptome sequencing identified 8985 and 7305 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in SD902 and SD609, respectively. Functional analysis suggested that numerous genes are highly involved in oxidative defense, protein modification, photosynthesis, phytohormone response, MAPK signaling, and transcription factors (TFs). Compared to SD902, SD609 had a higher expression of DEGs related to antioxidant enzymes, photosynthetic electron transport, heat shock proteins, and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) signaling under drought conditions, which might contribute to its tolerance mechanisms to drought. Stress-induced TFs may play a crucial regulatory role in genotypic differences. Moreover, the physiological changes and gene expression abundance determined using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction were consistent with the RNA sequencing data. The study results suggest that the higher drought tolerance of SD609 than SD902 can be attributed to stronger stress defense capabilities, IAA signal transduction, and more stable photosynthesis. Our findings provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms of maize against drought stress, and the candidate genes identified may be used in breeding drought-tolerant maize cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Masson pine (Pinus massoniana Lamb.) is an important tree species of high economic value in southern China, but osmotic stress threatens its growth and development. In this study, physiological measurements and RNA-Seq analysis were used to clarify the physiological and molecular responses of P. massoniana under osmotic stress. Osmotic treatment caused cell membrane damage and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation in the tree seedlings, but it also increased their antioxidant enzyme (superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase) activities and osmotic substances (soluble sugars, proline, and trehalose) content so as to adjust to osmotic stress conditions. A total of 1 789 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by transcriptome sequencing, of which 962 were up-regulated and 827 genes down-regulated. A series of stress-induced genes associated with signal transduction, ROS-scavenging, osmotic regulation, late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) protein, pentatricopeptide repeat-containing protein, and transcription factors' regulation were distinguishable. This detailed investigation of the stress-responsive genes and pathways provides new insight into molecular mechanism of abiotic stress response in P. massoniana. Further, this study's data can contribute to genetic engineering or molecular breeding efforts to enhance osmotic resistance in P. massoniana stands.

Leucaena leucocephala (Leucaena) is a leguminous tree widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions due to its strong environmental suitability for abiotic stresses, especially drought. However, the molecular mechanisms and key pathways involved in Leucaena's drought response require further elucidation. Here, we comparatively analyzed the physiological and early transcriptional responses of Leucaena leaves and roots under drought stress simulated by polyethylene glycol (PEG) treatments. Drought stress induced physiological changes in Leucaena seedlings, including decreases in relative water content (RWC) and increases in relative electrolyte leakage (REL), malondialdehyde (MDA), proline contents as well as antioxidant enzyme activities. In response to drought stress, 6461 and 8295 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the leaves and roots, respectively. In both tissues, the signaling transduction pathway of plant hormones was notably the most enriched. Specifically, abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis and signaling related genes (NCED , PP2C , SnRK2 and ABF) were strongly upregulated particularly in leaves. The circadian rhythm, DNA replication, alpha-linolenic acid metabolism, and secondary metabolites biosynthesis related pathways were repressed in leaves, while the glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and alpha-linolenic acid metabolism and amino acid biosynthesis processes were promoted in roots. Furthermore, heterologous overexpression of Leucaena drought-inducible genes (PYL5 , PP2CA , bHLH130 , HSP70 and AUX22D) individually in yeast increased the tolerance to drought and heat stresses. Overall, these results deepen our understanding of the tissue-specific mechanisms of Leucaena in response to drought and provide target genes for future drought-tolerance breeding engineering in crops. [Display omitted] • Drought stress caused physiological changes in Leucaena seedlings. • Roots of Leucaena had a stronger water retention capacity than leaves. • The ABA signaling pathway was strongly activated particularly in Leucaena leaves. • Heterologous overexpression of Leucaena drought-inducible genes enhances yeast drought tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaf senescence is the final stage of leaf development, however, premature aging of leaves, especially functional leaves, leads to reduction of yield and quality. Thus, it is very important for developing novel crop germplasms with delayed leaf-senescence characteristics through investigating the molecular and physiological mechanism of leaf senescence. In this study, a stable precocious leaf senescence mutant ospls7 was obtained from 60CO γ-radiated upland rice cultivar Monolaya, and its morphology, physiological characteristics of leaf senescence, cytological observation of internodes, genetic analysis and gene mapping were investigated. Under field conditions, leaf senescence was noticed as early as the 3-4-leaf seedling stage, featuring yellowing and browning at the edge of tip and the upper middle parts of old leaves and finally wilting. Due to shorter length of the parenchyma cells, panicle length and all internodes length of ospls7 were significantly shorter compared with wild type plants at the mature stage, resulting in dwarf phenotype in ospls7. Physiological analysis of leaf senescence indicated that compared to the wild type plants, the total chlorophyll contents, net photosynthetic rate, soluble protein content, and catalase (CAT) activity of the second and third leaves from top in ospls7 were significantly declined at the booting stage, which in turn resulting in the accumulation of H2O2 and a steady increase of malondialdehyde (MDA) contents in the mutant leaves. Moreover, due to significant up-regulation of ABA biosynthetic genes (OsNCED3 and OsAAO3) and significant down-regulation of the ABA catabolism genes (OsABA8ox2 and OsABA8ox3), the endogenous ABA levels in the leaves of ospls7 were significantly higher compared with the wild type at the booting stage. Genetic analysis and gene mapping showed that ospls7 was controlled by a single recessive nuclear gene, located in a region of 207 kb between SSR marker RM25040 and the InDel marker ID74-33/34 of chromosome 10. These results would further facilitate the cloning and functional analysis of OsPLS7 gene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air-liquid interface (ALI) cell culture of primary airway progenitors enables the differentiation and recapitulation of a pseudostratified epithelium in vitro, providing a highly useful tool for researching respiratory health and disease. Previous studies into gene expression in ALI-cultures compared to ex vivo nasal brushings have been limited in the number of time-points and/or the number of genes studied. In this study physiological and global transcriptomic changes were assessed in an extended in vitro 63-day human healthy nasal epithelium ALI-culture period and compared to ex vivo nasal brushing samples. Ex vivo nasal brushing samples formed distinct transcriptome clusters to in vitro ALI-cultured nasal epithelia, with from day 14 onwards ALI samples best matching the ex vivo samples. Immune response regulation genes were not expressed in the in vitro ALI-culture compared to the ex vivo nasal brushing samples, likely because the in vitro cultures lack an airway microbiome, lack airborne particles stimulation, or did not host an immune cell component. This highlights the need for more advanced co-cultures with immune cell representation to better reflect the physiological state. During the first week of ALI-culture genes related to metabolism and proliferation were increased. By the end of week 1 epithelial cell barrier function plateaued and multiciliated cell differentiation started, although widespread ciliation was not complete until day 28. These results highlight that time-points at which ALI-cultures are harvested for research studies needs to be carefully considered to suit the purpose of investigation (transcriptomic and/or functional analysis).

The purpose of the present study was to test the hypothesis that goal orientation is associated with divergent forms of emotional reactivity under frustration. Goal orientations were assessed using bifurcations of performance goals described earlier. Physiological stress levels were measured via a blood volume pulse analysis after individuals were subjected to a computerized Stroop task using a malfunctioning mouse to induce enhanced frustration. The results indicated that performance-avoidance goals were associated with the highest levels of emotional reactivity, with normative outcome goals being significantly more detrimental than ability goals. We concluded that the motivation to avoid failure or to outperform others is the most detrimental determinant of stress and needs to be avoided by all means. Instead, it is suggested that educators emphasize performance using personal best outcomes or by valuing engagement, deep processing and task completion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The salinization of soil is a widespread environmental problem. Banana (Musa acuminata L.) is a salt-sensitive plant whose growth, development, and production are constrained by salt stresses. However, the tolerance mechanism of this salt-sensitive banana to salt stress is still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the influence of NaCl treatment on phenotypic, physiological, and transcriptome changes in bananas. We found that the content of root activity, MDA, Pro, soluble sugar, soluble protein, and antioxidant enzymes activity in salt-stress treatment were significantly higher than the control in bananas. Transcriptome sequencing result identified an overall of 3,378 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in banana leaves, and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis indicated that these DEGs were involved in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis process, ribosome process, starch and sucrose metabolism, amino sugar process, and plant hormone signal transduction process that had simultaneously changed their expression under salt stress, which indicated these DEGs may play a role in promoting BD banana growth under salt treatments. The genes which were enriched in the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis process, starch and sucrose metabolism process, amino sugar process, and plant hormone signal transduction process were specifically regulated to respond to the salt stress treatments. Here, totally 48 differentially expressed transcription factors (TFs), including WRKY, MYB, NAC, and bHLH, were annotated in BD banana under salt stress. In the phenylpropane biosynthesis pathway, all transcripts encoding key enzymes were found to be significantly up-regulated, indicating that the genes in these pathways may play a significant function in the response of BD banana to salt stress. In conclusion, this study provides new insights into the mechanism of banana tolerance to salt stress, which provides a potential application for the genetic improvement of banana with salt tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, the use of nursery-produced seedlings is the most widely adopted method in forest restoration processes. To ensure and enhance the performance of transplanting seedlings into a specific area, soil amendments are often used due to their ability to improve soil physicochemical properties and, in turn, plant growth and development. The aim of the present study was to evaluate Populus euramericana growth and development on a growing substrate added with biochar and compost, both alone and in combination. To accomplish this aim, a pot experiment was performed to test biochar and/or compost effects on growing substrate physicochemical characteristics, plant morpho-physiological traits, and plant phenology. The results showed that biochar and/or compost improved growing substrate properties by increasing electrical conductivity, cation exchange capacity, and nutrient concentrations. On the one hand, these ameliorations accelerated poplar growth and development. On the other hand, amendments did not have positive effects on some plant morphological traits, although compost alone increased plant height, and very fine and fine root length. The combined use of biochar and compost did not show any synergistic or cumulative beneficial effects and led to a reduction in plant growth and development. In conclusion, compost alone seems to be the best solution in both ameliorating substrate characteristics and increasing plant growth, highlighting the great potential for its proper and effective application in large-scale forest restoration strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The salinization of soil is a widespread environmental problem. Banana (Musa acuminata L.) is a salt-sensitive plant whose growth, development, and production are constrained by salt stresses. However, the tolerance mechanism of this salt-sensitive banana to salt stress is still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the influence of NaCl treatment on phenotypic, physiological, and transcriptome changes in bananas. We found that the content of root activity, MDA, Pro, soluble sugar, soluble protein, and antioxidant enzymes activity in salt-stress treatment were significantly higher than the control in bananas. Transcriptome sequencing result identified an overall of 3,378 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in banana leaves, and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis indicated that these DEGs were involved in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis process, ribosome process, starch and sucrose metabolism, amino sugar process, and plant hormone signal transduction process that had simultaneously changed their expression under salt stress, which indicated these DEGs may play a role in promoting BD banana growth under salt treatments. The genes which were enriched in the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis process, starch and sucrose metabolism process, amino sugar process, and plant hormone signal transduction process were specifically regulated to respond to the salt stress treatments. Here, totally 48 differentially expressed transcription factors (TFs), including WRKY, MYB, NAC, and bHLH, were annotated in BD banana under salt stress. In the phenylpropane biosynthesis pathway, all transcripts encoding key enzymes were found to be significantly up-regulated, indicating that the genes in these pathways may play a significant function in the response of BD banana to salt stress. In conclusion, this study provides new insights into the mechanism of banana tolerance to salt stress, which provides a potential application for the genetic improvement of banana with salt tolerance.

The purpose of the present study was to test the hypothesis that goal orientation is associated with divergent forms of emotional reactivity under frustration. Goal orientations were assessed using bifurcations of performance goals described earlier. Physiological stress levels were measured via a blood volume pulse analysis after individuals were subjected to a computerized Stroop task using a malfunctioning mouse to induce enhanced frustration. The results indicated that performance-avoidance goals were associated with the highest levels of emotional reactivity, with normative outcome goals being significantly more detrimental than ability goals. We concluded that the motivation to avoid failure or to outperform others is the most detrimental determinant of stress and needs to be avoided by all means. Instead, it is suggested that educators emphasize performance using personal best outcomes or by valuing engagement, deep processing and task completion.

Background: Betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase (BADH) catalyzes the synthesis of glycine betaine and is considered to be a type of osmoregulator, so it can play a role in plants’ responses to abiotic stresses. Methods: In this study, a novel HuBADH gene from Hylocereus undatus (pitaya) was cloned, identified, and sequenced. The full-length cDNA included a 1512 bp open reading frame that encoded a 54.17 kDa protein consisting of 503 amino acids. Four oxidation-related stress-responsive marker genes (FSD1, CSD1, CAT1, and APX2) were analyzed by Quantitative real-time reverse transcription (qRT-PCR) in wild type (WT) and transgenic A. thaiana overexpression lines under NaCl stress. Results: HuBADH showed high homology (79–92%) with BADH of several plants. The HuBADH gene was genetically transformed into Arabidopsis thaliana and overexpressed in transgenic lines, which accumulated less reactive oxygen species than WT plants, and had higher activities of antioxidant enzymes under NaCl stress (i.e., 300 mM). All four marker genes were significantly upregulated in WT and HuBADH-overexpressing transgenic A. thaliana plants under salt stress. Glycine betaine (GB) content was 32–36% higher in transgenic A. thaliana lines than in WT in the control (70–80% in NaCl stress). Conclusions: Our research indicates that HuBADH in pitaya plays a positive modulatory role when plants are under salt stress.

Drought is one of the major environmental constraints threatening viticulture worldwide. Therefore, it is critical to reveal the molecular mechanisms underlying grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) drought stress tolerance useful to select new species with higher tolerance/resilience potentials. Drought-tolerant Tunisian local grapevine cultivar Razegui was exposed to water deficit for 16 days. Subsequent proteomic analysis revealed 49 differentially accumulated proteins in leaves harvested on the drought-stressed vines. These proteins were mainly involved in photosynthesis, stress defence, energy and carbohydrate metabolism, protein synthesis/turnover and amino acid metabolism. Physiological analysis revealed that reduction of photosynthesis under drought stress was attributed to the downregulation of the light-dependent reactions, Calvin cycle and key enzymes of the photorespiration pathway. The accumulation of proteins involved in energy and carbohydrate metabolism indicate enhanced need of energy during active stress acclimation. Accumulation of protein amino acids seems to play a protective role under drought stress due to their osmoprotectant and ROS scavenging potential. Reduced protein synthesis and turnover help plants preserving energy to fight drought stress. Proteins related to stress defence might scavenge ROS and transmit the ROS signal as an oxidative signal transducer in drought-stress signalling. All of these original results represent valuable information towards improving drought tolerance of grapevine and promoting sustainable viticulture under climate change conditions. Drought is a major abiotic constraints that will have a strong negative impact on Mediterranean viticulture. Proteomic analysis of drought-tolerant Tunisian local grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) cultivar Razegui revealed that water deficit affected many proteins, particularly those involved in photosynthesis, stress defence, energy and carbohydrate metabolism, protein synthesis/turnover and amino acid metabolism. The results have expanded our knowledge of the mechanisms by which grapevines respond to drought and may assist in designing and developing more drought-tolerant grapevines in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main conclusion: Salicylic acid (SA) and drought stress promote more flowering in sweet orange. The physiological response and molecular mechanism underlying stress-induced floral initiation were discovered by transcriptome profiling. Numerous flowering-regulated genes were identified, and ectopically expressed CsLIP2A promotes early flowering in Arabidopsis. Floral initiation is a critical developmental mechanism associated with external factors, and citrus flowering is mainly regulated by drought stress. However, little is known about the intricate regulatory network involved in stress-induced flowering in citrus. To understand the molecular mechanism of floral initiation in citrus, flower induction was performed on potted Citrus sinensis trees under the combined treatment of salicylic acid (SA) and drought (DR). Physiological analysis revealed that SA treatment significantly normalized the drastic effect of drought stress by increasing antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, POD, and CAT), relative leaf water content, total chlorophyll, and proline contents and promoting more flowering than drought treatment. Analysis of transcriptome changes in leaves from different treatments showed that 1135, 2728 and 957 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were revealed in response to DR, SD (SA + DR), and SA (SA + well water) treatments in comparison with the well watered plants, respectively. A total of 2415, 2318 and 1933 DEGs were expressed in DR, SD, and SA in comparison with water recovery, respectively. Some key flowering genes were more highly expressed in SA-treated drought plants than in DR-treated plants. GO enrichment revealed that SA treatment enhances the regulation and growth of meristem activity under drought conditions, but no such a pathway was found to be highly enriched in the control. Furthermore, we focused on various hormones, sugars, starch metabolism, and biosynthesis-related genes. The KEGG analysis demonstrated that DEGs enriched in starch sucrose metabolism and hormonal signal transduction pathways probably account for stress-induced floral initiation in citrus. In addition, a citrus LIPOYLTRANSFERSAE 2A homologous (LIP2A) gene was upregulated by SD treatment. Ectopic expression of CsLIP2A exhibited early flowering in transgenic Arabidopsis. Taken together, this study provides new insight that contributes to citrus tree floral initiation under the SA-drought scenario as well as an excellent reference for stress-induced floral initiation in woody trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium (Cd), a heavy metal element has strong toxicity to living organisms. Excessive Cd accumulation directly affects the absorption of mineral elements, inhibits plant tissue development, and even induces mortality. Populus × canadensis ‘Neva’, the main afforestation variety planted widely in northern China, was a candidate variety for phytoremediation. However, the genes relieving Cd toxicity and increasing Cd tolerance of this species were still unclear. In this study, we employed transcriptome sequencing on two Cd–treated cuttings to identify the key genes involved in Cd stress responses of P. × canadensis ‘Neva’ induced by 0 (CK), 10 (C10), and 20 (C20) mg/L Cd(NO3)2 4H2O. We discovered a total of 2,656 (1,488 up-regulated and 1,168 down-regulated) and 2,816 DEGs (1,470 up-regulated and 1,346 down-regulated) differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the CK vs C10 and CK vs C20, respectively. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses in response to the Cd stress indicated that many DEGs identified were involved in the catalytic activity, the oxidoreductase activity, the transferase activity, and the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. Based on the enrichment results, potential candidate genes were identified related to the calcium ion signal transduction, transcription factors, the antioxidant defense system, and transporters and showed divergent expression patterns under the Cd stress. We also validated the reliability of transcriptome data with the real-time PCR. Our findings deeper the understanding of the molecular responsive mechanisms of P. × canadensis ‘Neva’ on Cd tolerance and further provide critical resources for phytoremediation applications.

Copyright of Journal of Tea Science is the property of Journal of Tea Science Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Clematis is a superior perennial ornamental vine known for varied colors and shapes of its flowers. Clematis crassifolia is sensitive to high temperature, whereas Clematis cadmia has a certain temperature adaptability. Here we analyzed the potential regulatory mechanisms of C. crassifolia and C. cadmia in response to heat stress by studying the photosynthesis, antioxidant parameters, amino acids, and gene expression patterns under three temperature treatments. Heat stress caused the fading of leaves; decreased net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, superoxide dismutase, and catalase activity; increased 13 kinds of amino acids content; and up-regulated the expression of seven genes, including C194329_G3, C194434_G1, and C188817_g1, etc., in C. crassifolia plants. Under the treatments of heat stress, the leaf tips of C. cadmia were wilted, and the net photosynthetic rate and soluble protein content decreased, with the increase of 12 amino acids content and the expression of c194329_g3, c194434_g1, and c195983_g1. Our results showed that C. crassifolia and C. cadmia had different physiological and molecular response mechanisms to heat stress during the ecological adaptation.

Clematis is a superior perennial ornamental vine known for varied colors and shapes of its flowers. Clematis crassifolia is sensitive to high temperature, whereas Clematis cadmia has a certain temperature adaptability. Here we analyzed the potential regulatory mechanisms of C. crassifolia and C. cadmia in response to heat stress by studying the photosynthesis, antioxidant parameters, amino acids, and gene expression patterns under three temperature treatments. Heat stress caused the fading of leaves; decreased net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, superoxide dismutase, and catalase activity; increased 13 kinds of amino acids content; and up-regulated the expression of seven genes, including C194329_G3, C194434_G1, and C188817_g1, etc., in C. crassifolia plants. Under the treatments of heat stress, the leaf tips of C. cadmia were wilted, and the net photosynthetic rate and soluble protein content decreased, with the increase of 12 amino acids content and the expression of c194329_g3, c194434_g1, and c195983_g1. Our results showed that C. crassifolia and C. cadmia had different physiological and molecular response mechanisms to heat stress during the ecological adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Egicoccus halophilus EGI 80432T, a halotolerant bacterium isolated from a saline-alkaline soil, belongs to a member of the class Nitriliruptoria, which exhibits high adaptability to salt environments. At present, the detailed knowledge of the salinity adaptation strategies of Nitriliruptoria was limited except for one research by using comparative genomics analysis. Here, we investigated the salinity adaptation mechanism of E. halophilus EGI 80432T by comparative physiological and transcriptomic analyses. The results of physiological analyses showed that trehalose and glutamate were accumulated by salt stress and showed the maximum at moderate salinity condition. Furthermore, the contents of histidine, threonine, proline, and ectoine were increased with increasing salt concentration. We found that both 0% and 9% NaCl conditions resulted in increased expressions of genes involved in carbohydrate and energy metabolisms, but negatively affected the Na+ efflux, iron, and molybdate transport. Moreover, the high salt condition led to enhancement of transcription of genes required for the synthesis of compatible solutes, e.g., glutamate, histidine, threonine, proline, and ectoine, which agree with the results of physiological analyses. The above results revealed that E. halophilus EGI 80432T increased inorganic ions uptake and accumulated trehalose and glutamate in response to moderate salinity condition, while the salinity adaptation strategy was changed from a "salt-in-cytoplasm" strategy to a "compatible solute" strategy under high salinity condition. The findings in this study would promote further studies in salt tolerance molecular mechanism of Nitriliruptoria and provide a theoretical support for E. halophilus EGI 80432T's application in ecological restoration. Key Points • Salt stress affected gene expressions responsible for carbohydrate and energy metabolisms of E. halophilus EGI 8042T. • E. halophilus EGI 80432Tsignificantly accumulated compatible solutes under salt stress. • E. halophilus EGI 80432Tadopted a "compatible solute" strategy to withstand high salt stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Pigment yield of synthetic medium with 160 g/L glycerol was 3.24 times that of the control. • Biomass generated from synthetic medium with 160 g/L glycerol was 17.86 times as that of the control. • Glycolysis and carbon metabolism of Monascus spp. was accelerated by glycerol. • More substrates generated for Monascus pigments biosynthesis in medium with glycerol. Monascus pigments (MPs) are widely used natural colorants in Asian countries. MPs production can be significantly enhanced by glycerol, though its mechanism remains unknown. In this study, behind glycerol-enhanced MPs production was investigated through physiological and transcriptome analyses. Monascus pilosus MS-1 was cultured in synthetic media with 0, 40 or 160 g/L glycerol which were marked as CK, G40, and G160, respectively. Monascus growth and MPs production were significantly enhanced by glycerol. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) found in the CK vs G40 group involved in oxidation-reduction and glycolytic processes were upregulated, while that of RNA-DNA hybrid ribonuclease activity and RNA-dependent DNA biosynthetic process were downregulated. The downregulated genes related to G160 were significantly enriched in GO terms of nucleolus, 90S preribosome, and small and large subunit precursors. KEGG analysis indicated that most of the upregulated genes belonging to the CK vs G40 and CK vs G160 groups were related to glycolysis and carbon metabolism. However, DEGs belonging to groups related to G160 involved in ribosome biogenesis in eukaryotes and pyrimidine metabolism were downregulated. Therefore, glycerol promotion of MPs production may be attributed to more substrates for MPs biosynthesis generated from glycolysis and carbon metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]